Bottom Line: Not quite an app, this amazing curriculum is available through the iPad browser or on the web. Currently one module (Science of Exercise) is available, with videos, quizzes and lesson plans. With many more modules planned, this site should be a requirement for those working with 6th through 12th grade students.
Visit lifedojo.com for more information.
I first found LifeDojo when it was still in beta testing, and immediately couldn’t wait for the site to launch! Thankfully that day has arrived and “The Online Academy for Health and Life Skills” is now open. It currently features just the first class module, Science of Exercise. However, dozens more are promised, with the next eight listed on the site including Money Skills, Critical Thinking, Healthy Eating, and (be still my speech-language pathologist’s heart) Social Skills.
LifeDojo is
designed for older students, 6th through 12th grades,
though my 4th grade son (nine years
old) watched the entire first
module with me and really loved it. The goal is to teach “life’s most vital
lessons,” the things that we know to be important in life that aren’t always
taught explicitly in school. Incidentally, these are things often addressed
in speech-language therapy.
Right now there are two different ways to access the content of LifeDojo. First, users can subscribe directly from the website. The current “early bird” price is just $9 for a year for one user, and $19 for an educator or nonprofit (up to 50 students). This will allow access to all content, including activities and quizzes.
Though there is no app, signing in to the webpage on the iPad’s browser does allow it to be played on the iPad. I was also able to use Apple TV to play the content. Though I like the access on the iPad, I plan to use this website more often on the computer at work, as it allows for students to more easily see at the same time (and I don't have wi-fi access at school, anyway). Teachers with smart boards could easily play the content from the website as well.
For those familiar with Edmodo, this first module is now available in the store. It is $4.99, and can be shared with one group. There is an Edmodo mobile app, but it doesn’t yet allow use of the Edmodo apps. However, like the LifeDojo website, the Science of Exercise module can be played from the Edmodo website while on the iPad.
(For those not familiar with Edmodo, a warning — I joined just because of this review, and I am now hooked! It features a lot of great content, and students can access assignments at home, if they have a computer with internet access. I got $10 in Edmodo credit just for adding a group, which paid for the Science of Exercise module.)
The interface of the module is also excellent. It is divided into six sections, with each section further subdivided into units. Each unit features a teaching video and ends with a short quiz. The questions are easy, but I definitely had to pay attention to get some of the answers right.
The videos really are the best part. They feature a disembodied hand, somehow appealing, sketching illustrations as the content is narrated.
I know there’s probably a name for that kind of video, but Google was not my
friend and I couldn’t figure it out. Regardless, the hand draws very well, and
the pictures are sometimes funny and always a great depiction of what is being
taught.
Overall, I couldn’t find anything not to like in this module. My nine-year-old talked about the importance of exercise days later, rehashing the video with me. Like most SLPs, I’m always on the lookout for practical, engaging material for working with older students, and LifeDojo seems to be a perfect fit. Parents, educators, SLPs, and concerned citizens should definitely check out the website. It’s free to try once on the website, which is a great way to check it out first. I don’t know how long the early bird pricing will last, so it’s worth it to check it out soon!
***
In addition to being addicted to Edmodo, Heather H. is addicted to running. The Science of Exercise was right up her alley.
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